Apple to take 21% of mobile ad market by year’s end

Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform will end the year with 21 percent of the U.S. mobile advertising market, according to a new report. Citing estimates provided by IDC, Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Apple’s percentage of the market will come at the expense of Google, which IDC also expects to end with 21% even when combined with results from AdMob, and Microsoft, which is expected to end 2010 with a 7% share of the market. Notably, Google held a 27% share of the market last year while Microsoft held 10%; Apple didn’t sell mobile ads last year. Mobile advertising sales are estimated to reach nearly $500 million this year.